Advertising or amusement novelty



Sept. 21, 1937. c. H. RICKER 2,093,929

- ADVERTISING OR AMUSEMENT NOVELTY Filed Dec. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l jg, Z

A iiorneys p 937. c. H. RICKER ADVERTISING OR AMUSEMENT NOVELTY Filed Dec. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l.i|l\l\!l lllllllllllull Illlli\l Inventor fizz/3 22752 A iinrnvy I 2 Wm Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT FEE ADVERTISING on AMUSEMENT NOVELTY Chester H. Ricker, Tampa, Fla.

Application December 24, 1936, Serial No. 117,599

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in novelties for advertising or amusement purposes and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which is adapted to be compactly folded and which, when released, will instantly and automatically open.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an advertising or amusement novelty of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an advertising or amusement novelty constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan thereof.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view in perspective of the foldable container constituting a part of the invention which has been illustrated.

30 Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a detail view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Figure 7 is a detail view in plan of a means which may be used for connecting the resilient actuating elements.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a card I of suitable material having pictures or other representations 2 on the front thereof. Hingedly connected to the lower end of the card I is a supporting base 3 which, in the embodiment shown, is integral with said card. Forwardly of the card I is a wall 4 which is preferably, but not necessarily, of substantially similar material and which has openings or windows 5 therein through which the representations 2 may be observed when the device is in open position, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. l of the drawings. At its lower end, the wall I is hingedly connected to the base 3, as'at 6. At its upper end, the wall 4 is hingedly connected to the upper portion of the card I by a spacing flap I. It will be observed that the construction and arrangement is such that the Wall 4 is spaced forwardly from the card I when the device is in open or unfolded position.

Reference numeral 8 designates what may be referred to as an actuating or opening lever in the form of a sheet of suitable material, preferably 5- cardboard, which is hingedly secured to the card I adjacent the bottom thereof through the medium of a flap 9. The lever 8. projects slidably through a slot II! which is provided therefor in the front wall A and has its free end engaged with the supporting base 3. A resilient actuating element II, preferably of rubber, has one end anchored to the card I adjacent the bottom thereof and its other end anchored to the free end portion of the lever B. 15

Hingedly secured on the base 3, forwardly of the wall I, is a member I2 having on its upper end a representation of a head I3, for example. The member I2 extends slidably through a slot I I which is provided therefor in the lever 8. Hingedly mounted on an upper portion of the card I is an arm I5 having hingedly mounted on its free end a disk It. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the disk I6 may carry a suitable representation IT on its outer face. The arm I5' is slidably engaged in a slot which is provided therefor in the upper portion. of the wall 4.

Mounted on the base 3 is a collapsible container which is designated generally by the reference numeral I8, said container being of any suitable material, such as cardboard. The container I8 comprises a front I9 which is secured to the base 3 by a hinge 2B. A resilient element ZI is anchored to the end portions of the hinge 2! for swinging said hinge to the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings when the device opens. The container I8 further includes foldable end and back walls 22 and 23, respectively, together with a hinged closure 24 on the latter. A resilient element 25 in the form of a rubber band is anchored to the front I9, the closure 24 and one of the end walls 22 of the container I8 in a manner to automatically open or unfold said container when the base 3 swings away from the card I, as will be presently explained. Mounted on the back 23 I of the container I8 and rising therefrom is a Figure 26.

Secured for swinging movement on the base 3 by a hinge Z'I (see Fig. 6) is a card 28 which is formed to represent acake of soap, for example. Formed integrally with one end of the hinge 21 and extending above the card 28 when in raised position is a sign 29. A resilient element 30 has one end anchored to the sign 29 adjacent the pivoted end thereof and its other end anchored to the card 28 adjacent the free end thereof. In Fig. 7 of the drawings, the reference numeral 3| designates what may be referred to as a double hook member which may be provided for anchoring the resilient actuating elements to the various parts of the device, said double hook being adapted to swing or fold on the line 32.

When the device is to be folded, the card 23 and the sign 29 are swung forwardly and downwardly on the base 3, thereby placing the resilient element 30 under tension. Then, while holding the closure 24 of the container l8 in open position, said container is folded or collapsed by; swinging the end walls 22 thereof laterally on the front wall l9 thereby placing the resilient element 25 under tension. While thus foldedor collapsed, the container is swung forwardly and downwardly on the base 3, placing the resilient element 2| under tension. The base 3 may now be swung upwardly to folded position in front of the card i and the wall 4. When the base 3 is thus folded, the wall 4, being hinged on the elements 6 and 1, said element 1 in turn, being hinged on the card I, moves upwardly and rearwardly against said card I. The lever 8 is also swung upwardly and rearwardly against the front of the wall 4 in a manner to place the resilient element II under tension. Movement of the wall 4 toward folded position swings the arm I5 upwardly and rearwardly, said arm extending slidably through said wall, thereby moving the pivotally mounted disk l6 upwardly and rearwardly against said wall. Upward and rearward swinging movement of the base 3 and the lever 8 moves the member l2 upwardly and rearwardly against the wall 4, said member l2 sliding vertically in the slot which is provided therefore in said lever 8. The device may then be retained in folded position by any suitable means as, for example, by inserting said device in an envelope or other container. When the base 3 is released the lever B, being actuated by the resilient element ll, immediately swings said base downwardly to open position, together with the wall 4, the member [2, the disk 16, etc. When the base 3 swings to open position the container I8 is released and is swung upwardly on the hinge 20 by the resilient element 2|. When thus swung upwardly on the base 3, the closure 24 and the walls 22 and 23 of said container are released and swung to unfolded position by the resilient element 25, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. Also, when the device opens or unfolds, the elements 28 and 29, being released, swing upwardly toward each other on the base 3, being actuated by the resilient element 30. The resilient element ll passes through an opening which is provided therefor in the lower portion of the wall 4. When the device is unfolded the lever 8 supports the member 12 in an upright position and the wall 4 supports the arm 15 in a horizontal position. Also, the lever 8 assists in moving the wall 4 downwardly and forwardly from the card I when the device is opening or unfolding. The reference numeral 33 designates a stiffening strip on one side of the lever B to which one end of the resilient element H is anchored.

It is believed that the many advantages of a novelty constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

1. A novelty of the class described comprising a card, a supporting base hingedly mounted on the lower portion of said card, a wall hingedly secured to the base and to the card, a lever pivotally mounted on the card, said lever extending slidably through the wall and having its free end engaged with the base, and a resilient element having one end anchored to the card and its other end anchored to the lever for actuating said lever for swinging the base to unfolded position.

2. A novelty of the class described comprising a card, a supporting base hingedly mounted on the lower portion of said card, a lever pivotally mounted on the card and having its free end engaged with the base, a resilient element connected to said lever for actuating same for swinging the base to unfolded position, and a member hingedly mounted on the base and extending slidably through the lever, said lever constituting means for supporting said member in an upright position on the base when said base is unfolded.

3. A novelty of the class described comprising a card, a supporting base hingedly mounted on the lower portion of said card, a wall having its lower portion hingedly secured to the base, a hinged flap on the upper portion of the wall hingedly connected to the upper portion of the card, means for swinging the base to unfolded position for moving the wall away from the card, an arm hingedly mounted on said card and extending slidably through the wall, and a disk hingedly mounted on the free end of said arm.

4. An advertising novelty comprising a card having representations on the front thereof, a supporting base hingedly mounted on the lower portion of said card, a wall hingedly mounted on the base, spacing means'hingedly connecting the upper portion of the wall to the card, said Wall having openings therein exposing the representations on the card, a lever hingedly mounted on the card and extending slidably through the wall and having its free end engaged with the base, and resilient means connected with said lever for actuating same for swinging the base toward unfolded position.

5. A novelty of the class described comprising a card having representations on the front thereof, a supporting base hingedly mounted on the lower portion of said card, a wall hingedly secured. on the base, spacing means hingedly connecting the upper portion of said wall to the upper portion of the card, said wall having openings therein exposing the representations on the card, an arm hingedly mounted on the card and extending slidably through the wall, a disk hingedly mounted on the free end of said arm, a lever hingedly mounted on the card and extending slidably through the wall and having its free end engaged with the base, a'resilient element having one end anchored to the card and its other end anchored to the free end portion of the lever for actuating said lever for swinging the base to unfolded position, and a member hingedly mounted on the base forwardly of the wall and extending slidably through the lever, said lever constituting means for supporting said member in an upright position on the base when said base is in unfolded position.

6. A novelty of the class described comprising a card, a supporting base hingedly mounted on said card, means for swinging the base to unfoldedposition relative to the card, a pair of members hingedly mounted on the base and adapted to lie thereagainst, and resilient means connecting said members for swinging said members upwardly when the base is swung to unfolded position.

7. A novelty of the class described comprising a card, a supporting base hingedly mounted on said card, resilient means for actuating the base to unfolded position on the card, a collapsible 10 container hingedly mounted on the base and adapted to lie thereagainst in folded position when said base is in folded position on the card, resilient means connected to the container for swinging same upwardly on the base when said base swings to unfolded position on the card, and resilient means connected to the container for unfolding same when said container is swung upwardly on the base.

CHESTER H. RICKER. 

